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Emissary (episode)
This article refers to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pilot episode. For other meanings, please see Emissary (disambiguation). Series: DS9 Season: 1 Original Airdate: Week of 03 January 1993 Production Numbers: 401-402 Year: 2369 Stardate: 46379.1 Story by: Michael Piller & Rick Berman Teleplay by: Michael Piller Directed by: David Carson On the edge of explored space, a new crew takes command of an abandoned space station and makes an incredible discovery that will change the galaxy. This episode featured flashbacks of the Battle of Wolf 359. Summary In 2367 (a few days after stardate 43997, or very close to stardate 44001.4), Benjamin Sisko is aboard the USS Saratoga as it battles the Borg and Locutus at the Battle of Wolf 359. When the ship takes a direct hit, killing most of the bridge crew and causing an imminent warp core breach, Lieutenant Commander Sisko helps civilians flee to escape pods. In the living quarters, he finds his son Jake buried under a pile of rubble, but Sisko digs him free. He tries to do the same for his wife Jennifer, but she has already been crushed to death by falling debris. He tries nevertheless to free her, in vain, and is ultimately dragged away by a crew member to an escape pod. Reunited safely in the pod with Jake, Benjamin and the other survivors are jettisoned from the doomed Saratoga moments before its destruction, taking with it any hope for Jennifer as well. Now three years later, Commander Sisko and son Jake arrive at Deep Space 9, the former Cardassian space station Terok Nor, in orbit around the planet Bajor. The station is in a state of disarray, the Cardassians having recently pummelled it, on their way out after the end of the occupation of Bajor. Neither Benjamin nor his son find the place (or their quarters) accomodating, yet they decide to "rough it" for the time being. Chief of operations Miles O'Brien reports that most systems are off-line, with a lot of equipment missing or severely damaged, bemoaning the Cardassian abuse of the station. Sisko meets next with Major Kira Nerys of the Bajoran military, a former member of the Bajoran Resistance. She is quite abrupt with him, trusting neither him nor the Federation's motives for getting involved in the plight of Bajor. Responding to an alarm on the promenade, they capture a thief and his accompliss, the young Ferengi Nog. They are also given a display of Odo's changeling abilities, who aids in the apprehension. Quark, Nog's uncle, unsuccessfully lobbies to have Nog remanded to his custody. When Sisko meets with Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise, it is now Sisko's turn to be brusque and distrusting. He begins by "re-introducing" himself, mentioning that he has already "met" Picard (when Picard was Locutus) at the disastrous Wolf 359. Noticing Sisko's hostility, Picard begins discussing the havoc wreaked upon Bajor by the Cardassians. Picard tells Sisko that his top priority at DS9 is to ensure Bajor's prompt entrance into the Federation. Sisko accepts his assignment, but hints to Picard that he has been thinking of resigning his Starfleet commission, to return to earth as a civilian to raise Jake. Sisko and Odo try to convince Quark to stay on DS9, keeping his gambling tavern Quark's Place open, to aid in the station's overall rehabilitation. They use the incarcerated Nog as a bargaining chip, offering to free Nog, if and only if Quark stays and reopens his establishment. While discussing Bajoran politics, Kira expresses her belief that Kai Opaka, the spiritual leader of Bajor, is their only hope to unite the people and keep the provisional government intact. When Sisko meets the Kai on Bajor, she places her right hand around his left ear, exploring his Pagh, or life-force, and discovers Sisko to be the Emissary of the prophets, though she doesn't tell him everything at first. Walking down a circular staircase hidden beneath a holographic fountain, the Kai leads Sisko to the Orb of Prophecy, which grants him his first vision: he is mentally transported to Gilgo Beach, years earlier (circa 2354), at the time and place he met Jennifer, his wife. He re-lives the moment of their first encounter in vivid detail, promising to prepare his father's famous Aubergine stew for dinner, and is distraught when the vision ends. As Kai Opaka shuts away the Orb safely in its container, she explains that this Orb is one of nine known Orbs; the Cardassians have plundered the other eight in times of war. She also informs Sisko that his destiny, whether he believes it or not, consists entirely of finding the Celestial Temple of the prophets, from where the orbs originated. To help him in his task, she gives him the Orb for further study. Back aboard DS9, Sisko greets his new chief medical officer, Doctor Julian Bashir, who is obviously smitten with Jadzia Dax, the station's new chief science officer. Sisko's meeting with Dax is really a reunion, because Dax is a Trill symbiont whom Sisko knew as Curzon Dax years earlier. Julian offends Kira by referring to his new assignment as "frontier medicine"; to Kira, Bajor is home, not some frontier in the wilderness. Benjamin quickly puts his old friend Dax to use, asking her to conduct research on the Orb. While next to it, the Orb suddenly grows extremely bright, engulfing Dax, giving her a vision of her own. From high above, she sees herself (as the un-joined Jadzia) lying on an operating table, receiving the Dax symbiont from a dying Curzon, realizing the first moment of her new self-awareness. The vision has a noticeably powerful effect on her emotionally, as strong as Sisko's vision of Jennifer. Sisko hosts Gul Dukat in his office, which used to be Dukat's office. Formerly the Cardassian prefect on Bajor, Dukat is the former commander of DS9, too. With great diplomacy, Dukat "welcomes" the Federation to the region and pledges his "support" (especially in light of the fact that the Enterprise has departed the region). Dukat is really only interested in garnering information regarding the Orb; he promises an exchange of information with the eight Orbs "acquired" by the Cardassians. Dax has plotted a cental location common to all the known Orbs, the Denorios Belt, a charged plasma field. She and Sisko board the runabout Rio Grande to investigate this location, but they dare not depart the station, for fear of raising Cardassian suspicions. While Quark distracts the Cardassians with a generous payout from his casino, Kira closes the establishment; to carry their winnings back to their ship, the Cardassians are given Odo, disguised as a tote bag. Once aboard the vessel, Odo morphs into his normal self, and begins his acts of sabotage. Having crashed the Cardassian vessel's computers, Odo morphs his way back to Ops aboard DS9. The coast is now clear for Sisko and Dax to embark toward the Denorios Belt, the coordinates of the focal point of the Bajoran Orbs. As Dax steers the vessel toward high proton counts and the external wave intensifies, the Bajoran wormhole suddenly opens directly in front of them. They are pulled into it, as DS9 loses contact with them, picking up only major subspace disruptions. The Rio Grande emerges in the Gamma Quadrant, some 70,000 light-years from its previous location. Sisko suspects that the wormhole is the source of the Bajoran Orbs, and that it is a stable wormhole, so they turn around and attempt to return to the Alpha Quadrant. However, the Rio Grande loses power and velocity while in the wormhole; they land on a "planet" with breathable atmosphere. To Sisko, it appears to be a barren wasteland, raging with electrical storms; to Dax, however, the planet appears beautiful, like an idyllic garden setting. A hovering Orb appears and scans their bodies; it engulfs Dax and takes her through the wormhole safely, and she materializes in Ops on DS9. Benjamin is transported from the imaginary planet to the celestial temple, where he begins another vision, this one being his first communciation with the prophets of the celestial temple. The prophets are non-corporeal entities, appearing to Benjamin as people in his life: his late wife Jennifer, Picard, the Kai, Jake. They seek contact with other life forms, but do not consider him worthy, since he is corporeal, and relies on crude linguistics for communication. As he tries to defend himself and his species, Benjamin seeks to develop some form of communication protocols with them. But since the prophets have no concept of linear time, Benjamin tries to explain the concepts of past, present, and future, via the memories of his life's history. In order to stake a Bajoran claim to the wormhole, Kira orders the entire DS9 space station to the mouth of the newly-found wormhole. With only six functional maneuvering thrusters, Dax suggests they lower the inertial mass of the station with the deflector array; O'Brien begins work on this endeavor. Kira, Dax and Doctor Bashir decide to set out toward the wormhole in another runabout, the Yangtzee Kiang, to rescue Sisko. Odo insists on joining their expedition, citing his own discovery in the Denorios Belt, and how his origins may be related to the wormhole phenomenon. Suspecting Sisko of already striking a deal with "whomever" in the wormhole, Gul Dukat races toward the wormhole himself; his Cardassian vessel, easily out-pacing Kira and the runabout, proceeds through the wormhole, which appears to collapse behind him. Dukat's passage through the wormhole momentarily interrupts Sisko's "conversation" with the prophets. When communication resumes, the prophets reveal how they are injured whenever someone travels through the wormhole; in fact, the very nature of Sisko's linear existence confounds the prophets. While deciphering "the Sisko's" memories, the prophets ask Sisko why he continuously lives in the past, at the moment he lost his wife. They note how non-linear it is for Sisko to continually dwell in the past. The revelation is cathartic to Benjamin, who finally comes to terms with the death of his beloved Jennifer. Deep Space 9 arrives at the coordinates where the wormhole previously existed; since Dukat's ship dissapeared through the wormhole, neither the ship nor the wormhole have been detected. Kira and the crew of the Yangtzee Kiang, already at the same coordinates, dock with the station and come aboard. The station is soon approached by three Cardassian warships, which take a threatening posture. Gul Jasad demands to know the location of Dukat's vessel; he refuses to believe Kira's "wormhole" explanation, since there is no sensory evidence of such. Jasad allows Kira one hour to prepare for surrender, but with the Enterprise still 20 hours away, Kira knows that surrender is not a viable option. Kira launches six Photon torpedoes -- the station's entire compliment -- as a bluff, to make Gul Jasad believe that Starfleet has replenished DS9's weaponry after taking over the station. The bluffs fails, however, as the Cardassians begin assaulting the station, easily penetrating its weak shields. Odo calls for medical assistance on the promenade from Doctor Bashir. Dax reports that their shields are down to 18 pecent and falling, then she suddenly reports a huge neutrino disturbance -- the wormhole is back. The wormhole opens in an explosion of brilliant, neon-like light; the Cardassians, shocked to see it for the first time, immediately cease firing on DS9. To everyone's surprise, Commander Sisko emerges in the Rio Grande, towing Gul Dukat's disabled Cardassian vessel from the wormhole to safety. Once securely back in the Alpha Quadrant, Dukat orders the Cardassian vessels to stand down. Luckily, there were no fatalities on DS9, just various injuries being treated by Doctor Bashir and Odo, who has been pressed into medical duties, for the time being. Sisko, back aboard DS9, joyously greets Jake. The prophets, known to the Federation as the "wormhole aliens", have granted Sisko and all other corporeal beings free passage through the wormhole. And with the return of the Enterprise, the Cardassian vessels retreat back to Cardassian space. Meeting once again with Captain Picard, Commander Sisko is congratulated on finding the wormhole; Bajor will now undoubtedly become a commercial and scientific hub, as well as a strategic military focal point for the Federation. Sisko retracts his earlier conversation with Picard, about possibly resigning his commission. Picard, who had never forwarded the information up the chain of command, nevertheless asks Sisko if he is sure about staying at the helm of DS9. Sisko guarantees him that he knows he is the man for the mission; Picard shakes his hand, and disembarks to the Enterprise, wishing Sisko good luck. As the crew continues repairs and settles into their new home, so begins the command of Deep Space 9 by Commander Benjamin Sisko, the Emissary to the prophets of Bajor. Memorable Quotes "This is real frontier medicine!" - Doctor Bashir "It's good to see you, too... old man." - Sisko to Jadzia "Computer.... You and I need to have a little talk." - Miles O'Brien, after the computer refused his command override at a critical moment in time "I see her like this, every time I close my eyes. In the darkness, in the blink of an eye, I see her like this." - Sisko "Major? Remind me never to get into a game of Roladan Wild Draw with you." - O'Brien to Kira, after she bluffs belligerent Cardassians "I suppose you want the office." - Kira to Commander Sisko "New rules... ?" "You're can't cheat every customer who walks through your door anymore, Quark... you're a community leader now." "Very well. Very well. Perhaps we could discuss these new rules over a drink..." "If you don't take that hand off my hip, you'll never be able to raise another glass with it." "I love a woman in uniform..." - Quark, Kira Nerys Background Information * This episode features flashbacks to the Battle of Wolf 359, which took place in TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" and "Part II". * Max Grodénchik, credited as the Ferengi Pit Boss, would become the recurring character Rom, Nog's father and Quark's brother. * J.G. Hertzler, credited as the Vulcan Captain, would later be well known for his portrayal of Klingon General/Chancellor Martok. * Majel Barrett, as the Saratoga computer voice, was participating in her third (out of three, at the time) Star Trek series, having played Nurse Chapel in TOS and Lwaxana Troi on TNG. * Marc Alaimo would reprise his role as Gul Dukat throughout DS9's seven-year run. * Aron Eisenberg's Nog character would eventually be transformed from thief to Starfleet's first-ever Ferengi officer. * Aron Eisenberg (Nog), Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat), J.G. Hertzler (Vulcan Captain) and Mark Allen Shepherd (Morn) are the only actors, besides the regulars, to appear in both this episode and the finale "What You Leave Behind". Hertzler would later play the recurring character of General/Chancellor Martok on the series. * This is the ''Enterprise'''s first of two visits to Deep Space Nine. The second would be in TNG: "Birthright, Part I". Special Guest Star *Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard/Locutus of Borg Guest Stars *Camille Saviola as Kai Opaka *Felecia M. Bell as Jennifer Sisko *Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat *Joel Swetow as Gul Jasad *Stephen Davies as Tactical Officer *Max Grodénchik as Ferengi Pit Boss *Aron Eisenberg as Nog *Steven Rankin as Cardassian Officer *Lily Mariye as Ops Officer *Cassandra Byram as Conn Officer *J.G. Hertzler as Vulcan Captain *Kevin McDermott as Alien Batter *Parker Whitman as Cardassian Officer *William Powell-Blair as Cardassian Officer *Frank Owen Smith as Curzon Dax *Lynnda Ferguson as Doran *Megan Butler as Lieutenant *Stephen Rowe as Chanting Monk *Thomas Hobson as Young Jake *Donald Hotton as Monk *Gene Armor as Bajoran Bureaucrat *Diana Cignoni as Dabo Girl *Judi Durand as Computer Voice *Majel Barrett as Saratoga Computer Voice *Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn (uncredited) References antileptons; antilepton interference; Bajor, Bajoran wormhole, baseball, Battle of Wolf 359, Borg, Cardassian Union, Celestial Temple, Denorios Belt, Emissary, [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise-D]], Frunalian, Gamma Quadrant, Idran system, Ops, Orb, Promenade, Prophets, Quadros-1 probe, Quark's Bar, USS Saratoga, Wolf 359 First episode Episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Next episode: Past Prologue Category:DS9 episodes de:Der Abgesandte, Teil I nl:Emissary (aflevering)